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Agenda Item GB-3 City of Tacoma Community and Economic Development Department TO: Planning Commission FROM: Donna Stenger, Manager, Long-Range Planning Division SUBJECT: Large Scale Retail Moratorium DATE: September 28, 2011 At the October 5 meeting the Commission will be conducting its public hearing on the emergency moratorium on large scale retail establishments. Following the hearing, staff will be discussing with the Commission the key issues raised in public testimony received to date. The Commission’s findings and recommendations, which will be drafted for consideration at the October 19 meeting, need to address, at a minimum, the need for and appropriate duration of the moratorium. In support of that discussion, staff is providing a copy of a memorandum provided to the City Council on September 22 regarding the moratorium’s potential impact on certain projects. Additionally, the Commission will continue its review of the City’s existing policies and regulations applicable to large scale retail uses. Attached for your review are: • Comprehensive Plan Guidance – A summary of existing plan policies relative to large commercial development and development within commercial and mixed-use areas • A few articles and papers regarding large scale retail development, from the State’s Municipal Research and Services Center (additional information and resources are available at the MRSC website – www.mrsc.org/Subjects/Planning/BigBoxRetail.aspx). At the meeting staff will also be providing additional information about current development and design standards, including how they have applied to recent developments within the commercial and mixed-use districts where these types of uses are permitted and generally located. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Boudet at 573-2389 or [email protected]. Attachments c: Peter Huffman, Assistant Director 747 Market Street, Room 1036 ▌ Tacoma, Washington 98402-3793 ▌ (253) 591-5365 http://www.cityoftacoma.org/planning LARGE SCALE RETAIL MORATORIUM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GUIDANCE October 5, 2011 The following is a sampling of policies and goals from the Comprehensive Plan specifically related to large commercial retail development, including policies from the Generalized Land Use Element (LU) related to the districts and areas in which those types of uses are commonly found. It should be noted that this is only intended to provide a representation of the key policy messages related to this type of development and the areas where it is generally allowed. More detailed information and additional policies can be found throughout the sections indicated, as well as in other elements of the Plan. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT (PAGES LU‐54 – LU‐60) General Themes: • Human‐scale, pedestrian access, non‐motorized circulation • Public squares and assembly points for community activities • Distinctive place based on the combination of history, natural environment, and people • Range in scale from small neighborhood convenience shops to regional shopping centers Specific Policies and Goals: Commercial Development – Goal (LU‐54) To achieve an attractive, convenient and well‐balanced system of commercial facilities, which serve the needs of the citizens, are appropriate to their relative service areas and are compatible with adjacent land use. Location and Accessibility – Intent (LU‐54) Commercial development involves a wide variety of uses and can range in scale from small neighborhood convenience shops to regional shopping centers. Commercial areas are the activity centers of the community. Commercial areas should be safe, well designed, appropriately scaled, and integrated into the fabric of the community. Commercial establishments must be properly located and easily accessible for the convenience of their customers. Commercial developments should be located within mixed‐use centers, in concentrations within areas of similar character, or in nodes at intersections of major traffic corridors. Such locations should lessen traffic congestion, increase consumer convenience, reduce utilities and services installation and maintenance costs and encourages joint use of parking facilities. Infill development and intensification of existing commercial areas will aid their continued economic viability. In some limited instances, physical expansion of existing areas may be permitted; however, linear expansion is to be strictly limited. Commercial development within the mixed‐use centers is also guided by policies in Section II specifically addressing the centers. For development within the centers, where center policies are inconsistent with the policies below, center policies take precedence. Design – Intent (LU‐55) The viability of the city's commercial areas is strengthened by promoting quality design and compatibility with the existing and/or desired character of the area. Their viability is further insured by encouraging compact development, the physical maintenance and rehabilitation of existing commercial developments, and beautification efforts. Design that promotes pedestrian access is a high priority. This can be accomplished by encouraging developments to orient towards the street, and providing attractive pedestrian access between buildings and the street, between separate buildings on the site, through large parking lots, and to surrounding uses, where desirable. Attractive façades, landscaping, lighting, and other amenities are also important to enhancing the pedestrian environment. Well‐designed vehicular access and parking is needed to ensure the long term health of commercial uses. Such features shall be designed to provide user convenience while minimizing conflicts with bicyclists, transit users, and pedestrians, and minimizing impacts to the visual environment. Landscaping elements along the edge of the parking lots and within larger parking lots are needed to achieve this goal. Shared use of parking areas is strongly encouraged to encourage compact, efficient commercial centers. It is intended that the image and appearance along freeway corridors and limited access highways be improved and enhanced by achieving high quality freeway‐oriented development and preserving visual interest. Balance needs to be maintained between preserving visual interests with development economics. Design standards will be used to help ensure that new commercial developments meet these objectives. Such standards will be easy to use and help to encourage desired forms of development. Design standards may be supplemented with design guidelines for special areas and/or situations. Design guidelines will provide greater flexibility and detail in how commercial developments can meet design objectives. MEDIUM INTENSITY COMMERCIAL AREAS (PAGES LU‐58 – LU‐59) General Themes: • May contain a mix of retail, office, commercial, multi‐family, and light industrial uses • Includes both concentrated areas of large commercial development with community‐wide significance and older, smaller‐scale districts that focus more on services for surrounding neighborhoods • Encourage locations near residential areas and the development of residential uses within these traditionally commercial districts • Should be located along significant transportation corridors, such as major arterials and freeways, and be designed to include multi‐modal connections Large Scale Retail Moratorium Comprehensive Plan Guidance 2 • Vegetative buffers and other forms of screening are used to prevent negative impacts to surrounding residential areas Specific Policies and Goals: Medium Intensity – Intent (LU‐58) Medium intensity commercial developments supply everyday goods and services for several surrounding neighborhoods and are of community‐wide significance. New commercial development should be directed primarily toward mixed‐use centers which consist of a clustered grouping of stores and businesses with multi‐modal transportation access. This arrangement encourages multi‐purpose trips and increases customer convenience. Planned business parks are a relatively new type of concentrated commercial development. Because of their relatively nuisance‐free nature, planned business parks may be compatible with adjacent lower intensity residential areas provided the character of the area is maintained. Older commercial development is usually found in small‐scale linear districts. These districts generally consist of a continuous row of commercial establishments along key arterial streets, which were historically used as principal entry routes to the downtown business area. This type of commercial development does not have the drawing power of a major retail store, but provides convenience and services to surrounding neighborhoods. Parking is provided on street and in small lots, generally located behind or to the side of the commercial building. Upper stories were often used for housing in the past and such use is desirable for the future. Medium intensity commercial developments require access to higher volume arterial streets that are capable of carrying the traffic that is generated by these developments. These developments should be located within easy access to the residential communities that they serve. Methods to minimize adverse effects on adjacent, less intensive land uses and transportation levels of service are needed. This can be accomplished by encouraging shared parking arrangements, providing buffers, using design standards and encouraging public transit use. Medium Intensity Commercial Development – Policies (LU‐59) LU‐CDMI‐1 Concentrated